Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Genre: Romance, Sci-Fi / Fantasy, YA
People who should read this: If you like dark ghost stories, chilling plots, and a lot of romance.
This review needs to come with a warning label…
Warning - This blog may go all over the place because my thoughts about The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer are all over the place.
Picking a genre to stick this book under is almost like sticking your hand in a hat and pulling one out. Chances are, it probably fits under that genre. Yes, it’s a romance. Yes, it’s a fantasy. Yes, It’s a thriller. Yes, it’s paranormal. Yes, the only one that fits it most accurately, it’s young adult.
Yes… yes… yes… (I might have pictured Daniel Bryan chanting there.)
Did the mash-up of genres help? Could more people be attracted to the story because of it?
Personally… that’s a hard no. I couldn’t get past the jumping back and forth. At one point, the story was a romance, all thoughts of its scary, thriller roots gone. Then it jarringly jumps back to being a thriller, without a clue where the romance went. Maybe if the two had been blended more cohesively I would be feeling a lot differently.
The scary parts weren’t doing it for me either. Those three stars were earned because of the romance, the decent enough writing, and the setting. I’m from Florida and it was great being back home with a book that did an accurate job describing it. If you’ve read my review for After, you’ll also know that I’m a sucker for British bad boys… Sorry Hodkin but Hardin is still the front runner. Your boy was entertaining enough for me to consider reading the next book. Not the plot though. I won’t be reading this for the plot.
And as I write this review, I’m starting to regret those three stars. Watch me talk myself into a new rating by the end of the review.
From the start my curiosity was hooked. Here’s this great scary sleepover and bam, Hodkin delivers the last sentence. It would be so easy to assume that the rest of the book would continue in the same manner. The reader is left to believe that she killed her friends. Did she? I guess that’s what we’ll ultimately find out at the end of the series. But that beautiful tone and darkness was missing throughout the rest of the book. Hodkin tried. Boy did she try, but it was almost childish in a way.
The least I expected was for the hot British guy to come in and save the day. Something for all my efforts of staying with the book. Instead I got reverse Twilighted.
*Ummmm… I hope that didn’t just spoil the book*
I wouldn’t have minded the story if the plot had made more sense. Every moment trying for suspense ended up chaotic. The simple stuff wasn’t even explained enough for me to want to keep reading. Too much time was spent at the stupid school with those stupid people. Are they even a key to the ultimate story, or just a way to fill pages? The subplot turned out to be more developed than the one running through the whole series. When you finally hope to get answers in the end,you’re left way more confusion. Why is Mara the way she is?
This is not a book that is holding up well to the age of YA that we have now. And if you’re not a young adult yourself, turn away now. Only the young can get hooked on something like this. This is everything that the genre has quickly left in the dust.
I really hate to be so harsh. Maybe I shouldn’t have read all those one star reviews before writing this blog. Why do I do this to myself?
Yes, I’ll be heading to Goodreads now and changing my rating. The longer I get out of the pull of those British good looks, I realize how much I struggled over the writing and storytelling. People will bash on Noah’s controlling nature, but I didn’t mind it. Why does every review have to turn into a feminist rant. Maybe some girls like a guy that can take charge in a situation?
I hope that you got something out of this review in the end. Maybe the wandering is enough of a review.
Happy Reading
Love Kait
Reading Challenge: 66/175